National Coloring Book Day

Categories:: Arts & Entertainment
Tags:: Activities Fun
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Every August 2
Holiday emoji:: 🖍️

National Coloring Book Day invites everyone to pick up their favorite art supplies every August 2. Dive into intricate designs or simple patterns, rediscovering the joy and relaxation that coloring brings. Grab your pencils, markers, or crayons, and let your imagination fill the pages!

Deals
Platforms
Social
Brands
Hero
Businesses
FAQs
Importance
Celebrate

Expected National Coloring Book Day Deals

As National Coloring Book Day approaches, retailers often roll out colorful promotions. While we await official 2027 promotions to drop, history shows that brands like Crayola, Faber-Castell, and Prismacolor frequently offer discounts on their premium pencils, markers, and art sets. Major book retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon typically feature sales on adult coloring books and children’s activity sets. Craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby also join in, providing deals on paper, canvases, and various art supplies. Keep an eye out for online-exclusive bundles and free printable pages from independent artists. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as August 2 approaches.

Platform Guide for National Coloring Book Day

TikTok

Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #ColoringBookDay. Share time-lapse videos of your coloring process or showcase your finished masterpieces.

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NationalColoringBookDay. Post vibrant photos of your coloring pages, flat lays of your art supplies, and creative challenges.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #ColoringBookDay. Organize a virtual coloring party or share tips for finding peace through art.

National Coloring Book Day Hero

H.L. Thayer

H.L. Thayer is often credited with creating the first coloring book in the United States, 'The Little Folks' Painting Book,' published in 1879 by McLoughlin Brothers. This pioneering work introduced the concept of pre-drawn outlines for children to fill with color, laying the groundwork for the industry we know today.

How Businesses Can Celebrate National Coloring Book Day

Local art supply stores and bookstores can host coloring workshops or ‘color and sip’ events, providing materials and a relaxing atmosphere for customers of all ages. Cafes and restaurants might offer special discounts to patrons who bring in their coloring books or display completed pages. Libraries and community centers can organize free coloring sessions, highlighting the stress-relief benefits for adults and promoting literacy through themed children’s coloring activities. Consider partnering with local artists to create custom coloring pages featuring neighborhood landmarks.

National Coloring Book Day FAQs

When is National Coloring Book Day?

National Coloring Book Day 2026 falls on Sunday, August 2. It’s the perfect opportunity to unwind and unleash your creativity with crayons, pencils, or markers.

What are the benefits of coloring for adults?

Coloring for adults offers numerous benefits, including stress reduction, improved focus, and enhanced motor skills. It serves as a meditative practice, allowing individuals to engage in a creative outlet without the pressure of artistic perfection.

How popular are adult coloring books?

Adult coloring books experienced a massive surge in popularity in the mid-2010s, with millions of copies sold worldwide. While the initial boom has settled, they remain a beloved hobby, with an estimated 12 million adult coloring books sold in the US alone by 2015.

Who invented the first coloring book?

While the concept of coloring has ancient roots, the first commercially successful coloring book, ‘The Little Folks’ Painting Book,’ was published in 1879 by McLoughlin Brothers, with illustrations by H.L. Thayer. This marked the beginning of coloring books as a popular pastime.

National Coloring Book Day Activities

Host a coloring book party
Gather some friends and turn a childhood playdate into an adult party. Everybody chip in for a sitter with activities for the kids in another room or at home so you can really enjoy yourself. Designate a driver and who knows, maybe coloring book parties will become the next best happy hour activity!
Indulge in coloring supplies
Ever dreamed about that giant box of Crayola crayons as a kid? Or maybe having an endless supply of markers to color the entire rainbow? Take your tools up a notch to make your childhood dreams come true and color your way to happy.
Set aside some coloring 'me' time
Sometimes coloring solo makes the best art therapy. Treat yourself and set aside that extra hour for your own time of introspective mindfulness. For those who were always searching for chill time, coloring books could be the golden ticket.

Why We Love National Coloring Book Day

You Feel Like a Kid Again
Just think back to when you were a kid, filling page after page with colorful scribbling, only updated to reflect your much-improved motor and attention skills and worldly experiences. Doesn't it sound nice to take a leisurely hour sipping a cup of coffee and getting blissfully lost in a sea of boundless imagination?
We can find solace between the lines
Engaging in self-care is important and coloring is a restorative exercise. Coloring allows us to push other thoughts out of our head and focus on a simple task, which alleviates any free-floating anxiety. It's like therapy without a therapist.
You can color your way to bliss
Coloring is a no-pressure, judgement-free activity. In fact, it's one of the few activities that doesn't come with any expectations and allows you creative freedom. Anyone, whether a child, an established artist, or just someone looking for fun; can color and enjoy the vibrant benefits.